


Lab Rats: the Game Show was a Hoax

by syndicateanonymoose



Category: Inanimate Insanity (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Inanimate Insanity - Freeform, M/M, There's like four bilingual characters in this, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, au credit to me, honey youve got a big storm coming, i worked hard, legit this is big yeet, please read this, theyre humans in this one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-11-18 11:59:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18120386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syndicateanonymoose/pseuds/syndicateanonymoose
Summary: When people start popping up with unexplainable powers, famous scientist MePhone 4 decides to find an explination. He gathers 19 people, all from the same school, under the pretense that they're going to be on a game show, but little do they know there's a lot more in store...If all goes well I'll release a chapter weekly.





	1. The Call

 

 

_The first case was recorded in ancient Rome, with stories being passed down about a girl who could control water. More cases popped up here and there, with reports of people with strange, inexplicable powers showing up out of nowhere. Said to be descendants of the gods, they were feared and held in high esteem. Some towns would even catch and sacrifice these people, setting up events and parties. Priests everywhere  would rally mobs, claiming these strange people were 'enemies of the church'. Discouraged, they were forced into hiding, even the ones praised were eventually locked away. The gene seemed to die out, with less and less being noticed. No one knew for sure what happened to them, thought everyone had their own version of the story._

 

 

 

The Cherries, as they were called, were used to stares. Completely identical twins were a rare sight, and there certainly wasn't a single noticeable physical (or mental) difference between them. Generally the two were referred to as a singular entity, even by teachers. No one could tell them apart. Their aptitude for pranks made them the article of caution for new students. The two of them were famous for their prank calls, which were said to be so good, even the real owners of the voices couldn't tell it wasn't a recording. Piquing the interest of many, the Cherries have even been on a couple talk shows, where their powers of imitation were put to the test. They passed with flying colors and then some. Of course, that got people talking. _"_ _What if...?"_   they would say.

"What if those two are..." 

"There's no way..."

"I think maybe..."

"They're like...that..."

 

The Cherries, however, were unperturbed. They didn't care what people said. They even sometimes fed into this. They thought it was all some joke, another prank. A game they were more than willing to play. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lightbulb awoke one morning as she did every morning, an action that barely deserves recognition, though for the point of story, many unrecognizable things must be taken into account. The point being that Lightbulb woke up, mentioned only to show that there was a difference, as this morning the house was unusually quiet. No usual clamoring from her grandmother as she bustled around, cleaning, cooking, or doing any number of other things typical of a grandmother. The mystery was short lived, as she found a note on the kitchen counter in her grandma's inconcievably perfect handwriting.

_Good morning sweetie,_

_I had to go over to my friend's house to help her. She injured her hip a few days ago and I agreed to help around the house a bit while she recovers. There's leftovers in the fridge and some bread and your favorite jam so you can make toast. I might be gone for a couple days, so feel free to have your friends over, just no going crazy, okay? Oh, and I left $50 for you so you can get snacks if you'd like._

_Love, Gram_

Lightbulb checked the cupboard where, sure enough, there was an unopened package of bread. She smiled. "Thanks Gram," she said aloud. Her grandma had drawn a heart in red sharpie on the package. She pulled out a couple slices, then groaned as she prepared for the daily battle with the ancient toaster oven sitting in the corner. "Come on toaster! Make me some toast!" She tosses the slice in and waits hopefully. The toaster sparks unhelpfully and remains cold. Frusturated, she slaps the top of the toaster. A shock travels through the toaster as soon as she touches it, and it comes to life with a metallic groan. "Success!" she calls, doing a little victory dance around her kitchen. After breakfast, she heads to school, to start her normal, completely ordinary day.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Come on Test Tube, you can do it. Just go up to him and say words. Say words that make romance happen." the green haired girl was talking to herself in the mirror again, trying desperately to hype herself up. Today was the day in which she would confess to Calendar, her crush of three years. She didn't see the point in trying, as she already knew how this would end. She zones out for a minute, the scene coming to her.

_"Calendar...there's something I want t-to tell you..."_

_"Hey TT! What is it?"_

_"W-well...I...I uhm...gosh...I uh..."_

_"Spit it out TT."_

_"I l-like you!"_

_"Oh. Sorry TT, I just don't feel the same way. I hope we can still be friends though, I need my lab buddy!"_

_"O-okay...sorry to bother you..."_

She cringed at the thought. 

Putting on her brave face, she finished her morning routine and dashed to catch the bus, where of course, Calendar was waiting. He was pale, but not sickly looking, and he was well-muscled too. She gulped. She knew she had to tell him at lunch, which meant today was going to be a long day. Being friends with Cal was already a challenge, as he was decently popular. As a member of multiple clubs and even the baseball team, he was known for his charisma. Liking him was even worse, because being around him brought her into the spotlight as 'Cal's Friend', which was not good for her social anxiety. The day seemed to fly by, much to Test Tube's annoyance. Lunch was here quicker than she wanted. She sighed and faced her friend.

"Calendar...there's something I want t-to ask you..." she started tentatively, already knowing what would happen next.

"Hey TT! What is it?" He replies, a friendly tone in his voice.

"W-well...I...I uhm...gosh...I uh"

"Spit it out TT!"

"I l-like you!" She cries, desperate for this conversation to end.

"Oh. Sorry TT, I just don't feel the same way. I hope we can still be friends though, I need my lab buddy!"

"O-okay...sorry to bother you..."

The last few class periods dragged on, Test Tube too caught up in embarrassment to be too invested in class. As soon as she got home, she flung herself onto her bed. She didn't cry, because she knew this was going to happen. Zoning out, she began to think about what would happen tomorrow. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paintbrush knew there were rumors. They had heard the whispers, seen the way people looked at them. They knew the real reason their girlfriend had broken up with them. They saw how their friends acted whenever they came close, as if there was some kind of barrier separating them, like they could never get close. Of course, they were only rumors...right? The way the temperature seemed to rise a few degrees whenever they entered a room, or the way they seemed to literally heat up when they got angry (which was often). That couldn't be true, though there were some things some people had seen that were hard to explain away, so people talked.

Paintbrush was casually walking down the hall with their best and oldest friend, Lightbulb, when suddenly the shorter blonde crashed to the ground. The taller one whirled around in time to see Knife, resident jerk, smirk and start to walk away. "What the fuck was that for?" they shout angrily, causing people to stop their conversations and watch the scene unfold.

"I was just playing around, calm down buddy."

"Calm down? Calm down?! You just tripped my fucking friend!"

"Painty..." Lightbulb says, a warning tone in her voice.

"Shut up Lightbulb. I have to deal with him." They put so much disgust into their voice when they said 'him', they may as well have been talking about a worm.

"Oh no, deal with me. I'm sooo scared." Knife mocks, a sarcastic edge to his voice. "I think I'm done here." he says, starting to walk away.

Lightning fast, Paintbrush grabs his wrist. "Don't. Move."

"Hey!"

"Painty!" Lightbulb says, more urgently this time.

Paintbrush stares at Knife, rage boiling in them. 

"Ouch! What the fuck?!" Knife yanked his wrist away from their grasp, a look of pure shock on his face. Where Paintbrush's hand had been moments before, there was an angry red burn.

"Painty, let's _go._ " Lightbulb pulls Paintbrush away as quickly as she can, leaving a bewildered and angry Knife and a crowd of bystanders. Lightbulb silently prayed that no one, especially not Knife, had seen the literal heat waves radiating off the taller blonde.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fan had always been an outcast. There were a number of reasons, really, like how he dressed 'like a girl' and wore his hair in pigtails, how he shut himself in this online world, rarely talked to people, and sat on the sidelines of life. The most prominent reason seemed to be the fact that he knew everything about everyone. Somehow, some way, he knew everyone's secrets. He never missed anything. Watching the crowd with quiet, keen eyes, he would take in information quickly. No one knew how he did it. Everyone hated it. He was ostracized. Bullied. He didn't have any friends, though he saw a few characters he thought were interesting. Like the nervous girl with bright green hair that sat three rows behind him in English, the short sarcastic one he passed in the hallway the other day, or the albino he saw talking to the tall blonde with the headband. He knew he could never talk to them, but it was hard when he already knew so much about them. Someone bumped into him as he walked, lost in thought. "Hey watch it!" he started to say, but stopped short when he saw them. Instantly, information flooded his brain. They were hurt. Not physically, but something bad had happened to them last night. He decided to let them pass, keeping his mouth shut and moving on.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Paintbrush! What the hell happened this morning? Everyone's talking about it!" The short albino squeaked, placing her hands on her hips angrily and staring up at the other.

"I didn't mean to! I snapped!" 

"You know you can't do that! People already suspect...what if they find out...? It could...it could get us all in trouble..." She lost fire halfway through her sentence, a more anxious tone replacing it.

Paintbrush's expression softens, "Oh, Marsh, I'm sorry...I promise I'll try harder..."

She smiles, "Thanks Paintbrush."

Shortly after their conversation, the bell rings. Marshmallow hurries to her locker, but ends up late due to a locker jam. She rushes into the biology classroom. Mr. Index (short for Index Card) looks up and raises an eyebrow. "Miss Marshmallow, I'm afraid I'll have to mark you as tardy."

"Oh come on Mr. Index, it was only by a minute."

"You know my policy Marshmallow."

Marshmallow's tone changes ever so slightly, "Mr. Index, please? Just this one time?"

Suddenly, the teacher's expression changes. He looks calm, almost entranced. "Of course, Marshmallow. That's quite alright. Carry on."

The class breaks out in murmurs, everyone confused as to how she managed to slip around the policy.

"Class! Quiet down!"

Marshmallow smiled to herself, satisfied.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apple sighed, knowing she'd missed the bus again. She had two options. Be late to school, or don't. The choice was obvious. She looked around, making sure she was alone, and closed her eyes. She blinked. She was at school. 'I've never made this far' she thought to herself. She blinked again, and she was in class. The teacher looked up.

"Apple!" She said, surprised. "I didn't even hear you come in!"

Apple smiled to herself, "I guess I'm just sneaky."

"I guess you are!"

The teacher sat bewildered as Apple just laughed silently to herself

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Tissues began his morning like he began every morning. Vomiting. After he finished, he took his medicine and retreated to the bathroom to get ready. First, he got dressed. Then, he brushed his teeth. After that, he put on his surgical mask and his gloves. See, Tissues was sick. He had always been sick. He was also highly contagious. He seemed to infect anyone he touched. His mother worked something out with the school so he could still go to school. The solution was the mask and gloves. 

He went to school, and about 30 minutes into the day he was sent to the nurse after a coughing fit had him coughing up blood. The only other person there was YinYang, and Tissues wasn't sure he wanted to talk to him. Everyone said he was crazy. He caught a glimpse of YinYang, muttering to himself, as he was led into the back room to lay down.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YinYang was already at the nurse when Tissues walked in. He didn't notice the other at first.

"Yang! You can't keep doing this! People will find out!"

"I don't care!"

"Please Yang! I know you do care!"

"Yin! I told you to shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"Let me out!"

"You know I can't do that!"

"Fine! Stupid!"

YinYang almost collapsed, his head splitting with pain. 

"Y-Yang! Stop!"

"No!"

It got worse and worse, and then, he blacked out.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Guys! Knock it off!" Baseball cried, trying to split up the fight.

"I'll stop when he admits it was his fault!"

"Nickel started it!" 

"Both of you! Stop fighting!" Baseball yells, putting as much force into his voice as he can muster.

Nickel and Balloon stop in their tracks.

"Of course Baseball. I'm sorry" Balloon says, a dazed tone in his voice.

"I won't do it again. Sorry Baseball." Nickel seems to lose the sarcastic edge to his voice when he says this.

"It's alright guys. Carry on." Baseball says, smiling.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_'Dear Mic's diary,_

_I lost at dodge ball again today. The tall jock-looking guy looked like he wanted to kill me. I don't understand why I can't seem to do anything right. I try so hard, and I fail every time. I'm so-'_  

Suddenly, a surge of blinding anger swept through her and she threw the book, hot tears welling up in her eyes. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she barely noticed the voice.

"Dear Mic's diary,

I failed a test again today. I'm such a failure. Not much else to say, I'm just gonna wallow in self pity for a while.

Dear Mic's diary,

I can hear people talking about me all the time. If only they knew.

Dear Mic's diary,

I'm so annoying.

 

Ha! This is pathetic. You must be so desperate

"L-leave me alone," Microphone whimpered.

'"I'm afraid I can't do that, darling. You see, I want to help you." The owner of the voice stepped out of the bushes holding Mic's diary. It was Taco, the school's resident manipulative ass. 

"Since when do you help people?"

"Since I've decided you can help me in return. I've heard about those skills of yours."

"Oh. So that's why. So you can use me."

"We can help each other out. I'll make you better, and you can collect and distribute information for me. Use that skillset of yours."

"Okay I'll do it."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Suitcase, can I borrow a pen?" Highlighter leaned over and asked.

"Sure! Here you go!" Suitcase said reaching underneath her jacket and pulling one out.

"Thanks!"

That was the only interaction she had with anyone during class. Then the bell rang and she headed to lunch. She reached under her jacket again and took out her lunch box. Then she reached in again and pulled out an apple.

"Yo, Suitcase! I just came over to return this pen! How the fuck did you do that?" Highlighter is starting, bewildered, at the apple in Suitcase's hand.

"Do what?"

"Pull that Apple out of nowhere!"

"I just have...big pockets..." Suitcase says, starting to get nervous.

Highlighter looks suspicious, but doesn't say anything. She just hands back the pen and walks away.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nickel groaned in frustration. He was so sick of Balloon's stupid face. He wanted to get rid of him. He turned to the girl next to him. "Hey, rumor has it that Balloon has been returning to his old ways."

The girl grimaced. "That's so lame."

Nickel smirked, "Yeah, I know." Mission accomplished.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

"Stay away! Please!" The boy cried, sounding desperate.

Knife just laughed, "You know I can't do that."

"I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. You fucking stole from me."

He gulped, "Knife...I..."

"Save it!" His hand glinted, seeming...sharp? 

He raised his fist as if to punch the boy, but when he pulled his hand away, there was a large gash in his cheek.

The boy starts crying, "Y-you're crazy!"

"Don't fuck with my stuff again."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...it's just...nothing...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"...And then I said, 'Water you waiting for'" Cheesy smiles triumphantly as the cymbals crash. 

No one laughed.

"Oh come on guys, I thought I was better than that." 

Still no one laughed.

He waved his hand almost like he was dismissing the audience. Suddenly, the whole crowd burst into laughter. They all looked around, confused, but Cheesy just smiled and waved his hand again. Raucous laughter broke out, louder than before. He bowed once and walked offstage.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"...four...five...six..." Trophy chants, lifting the bar with each count. He adds more weight every ten. He's currently at 450 pounds. Of course, he only does this kind of lifting in the comfort of his own garage. Adding more and more weight. 500, 600, 700. He added more until he was so burnt out he could barley stand. He lay on the floor of his garage, sweating and panting. He smiled. He had finally beaten his PR. He lay there for a while longer before retreating to the bathroom to shower.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mon Dieu! You must be more careful!" Soap's soft French accent was laced with concern as she eyed the gash in her brothers leg. "Shampoo, it might get infected. Je veux vous aider." 

"Bien, d'accord." Shampoo rolled his eyes, exasperated. He winces slightly as she probes the wound. "Can you just fix it already?" 

"Sham...I'm...you know I'm not supposed to do that..." Soap glances around nervously.

"S'il-te-plaît? Just this once?"

"You said that last time."

"Come on Savon..." He calls her by her name in French, knowing she'd give in.

"D'accord, d'accord. I'll do it."

She places both hands over the wound. Shampoo relaxes, and when she removes her hands, all that's left is a scar.

"Merci Soap." He says with a smile

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Balloon is...strange. Thats what everyone says. It must be true, right? He used to be a bully. Suddenly, everything switched. He was quiet, shy, nice. The strangest thing about him was how he could just disappear. A few people had claimed they saw him vanish. One person said he could walk through walls. As for if this was true...well...

 

 

19 teenagers, all from the same school. One night, they all get a text.

'Hello. My name is MePhone 4. You have been selected for a game show. Come to *insert generic name* studios tomorrow.'

The next day, they all skip school, thinking this will be a week long thing. Little did they know...


	2. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 19 have received the call, and are now at the specified area. Mephone 4 wins then over with charm, and his trademark smile. Many are distrustful, but don't worry, soon all will play his twisted game.

* * *

The air fills with apprehension so thick, one could cut through it with only a butter knife. 19 uneasy subjects in one big room. Nervous excitement dotted the faces of some, while others looked bored or annoyed. All were looking around, taking in their new surroundings. Some, it seemed, had already gravitated towards each other. Most noticeably, Paintbrush, Marshmallow, and Lightbulb were clumped together, and Baseball and Nickel were whispering furiously to each other. Some tentative introductions were taking place, though there was a guarded air around most of the subjects. Unbeknownst to them, there was another prescence in the room. Hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to...

"Greetings and salutations!" 

...introduce himself? 

"I am your host, MePhone 4. You all are special. You know you're special. But, you've had to hide your uniqueness from the world. You've been agonizing over every choice you've made, hoping your secret wouldn't be revealed."

Confused muttering broke out among the group. MePhone motioned for silence with a wave of his hand.

"I know you're all confused. Allow me to explain. No longer will you have to wait in the shadows of life. No longer will you miss opportunities because you're different. I am going to show the world how you can help. You all have a gift. A wonderful gift. And with this research study, I will show the world how amazing you can be. I will unlock the full potential of your power." 

The confusion melted away, uneasiness taking it's place. Everyone shuffled around nervously, a few even taking a small step back. MePhone 4 smiled charmingly, a smile that suggested everything was going to be alright. The tension lessened. MePhone looked like an easy going guy. He smiled, and everything seemed like it was going to be just fine. 

Of course, some were still wary of the stranger. It was hard not to be. Though, the more he talked, the more he smiled his charismatic smile, the calmer everyone got. 

He turns slightly, "Everyone! Follow me! I will show you to where you'll be staying for the duration of your time in this game." 

Guards lowered, the 19 contestants follow him. The host leads them to a nice looking plot of rooms, almost like a hotel. There is a list hanging in the hallway. "Everyone is going to have a roommate." MePhone explained. "Since there are 19 of you, one room will have 3 people in it." 

Everyone nods in agreement. Roommates don't seem too bad. At least then there would be someone there at the end of the day, someone to talk to. A friend, perhaps. 

The list goes as follows:

Soap --> Cheesy

Paintbrush --> Nickel

Microphone --> Suitcase

Lightbulb --> Test Tube

Baseball --> YinYang

Cherries --> Fan

Box --> Tissues

Trophy --> Apple

Balloon --> Marshmallow --> Knife

A couple of the groups complained about being split up, but nonetheless they split into their assigned rooming pairs. Shaky introductions sprouted from the crowd. A couple people recognized each other, from study halls, from classes, maybe from a glance across the café. It was almost poetic, one may suppose. This chance meeting. Nineteen strangers somehow brought together for a common goal. 

The chattering stopped when MePhone cleared his throat, assuming his position at the front of the crowd. "I'm sure you're all eager to settle down," he said, smiling that same smile, "but first I have to give you the grand tour." He once again turns, expecting, not asking,  _expecting,_ that they follow. The talking resumes in between stops, as MePhone shows them the cafeteria, the gym, the fenced in grounds, which included a running track, and skirted past a door labeled 'Lab'. When asked about this, he simply brushed it off with a joke and moved on. Eventually, he brought them back to the café, telling them all to sit around one big table.

"How about we play some icebreakers?" He says amiably.

"Icebreakers? That sounds fun!" Lightbulb exclaims. Some of the others nod in agreement. 

"Alright! Today's game is icebreakers. Before the..." He paused, "...challenge, we're gonna get to know each other. I want everyone to say their name, and one secret they would never tell anyone. Something good and private. The more destructive the better." 

Indignant shouts broke out. No one wanted to share. MePhone had already predicted this would happen, and fortunately for him (unfortunate, however, for the contestants), he had a plan. "Marshmallow, dear, why don't you ask for me. Maybe they'll listen better to someone they know." 

Marshmallow swallowed nervously, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean." 

She sighed. "Guys...I'm sorry."

Everyone looked at her, confused. Paintbrush seemed to realize what she was about to do before she did it, as they opened their mouth to say something. They didn't get the chance.

"Tell him." Marsh said, her body shaking a bit.

"Wonderful. As a reward, you don't have to share a secret, only your name." 

One by one, secrets came out. Confessions of shoplifting, of sex scandals, of fights, of love, even low scale arson were spilled. Everyone looked around, bewildered. Marshmallow looked like she was going to cry. MePhone however, just smiled.

The game has just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is certainly better than the previous. Though it's all still exposition, it's still better. Also I know MePhone was pretty much the only character to talk, and it was a bit rushed at the end.


	4. Hiatus

Finals are coming up, and I do not have time to work on this story at the moment. I'll try to work on it in bits and pieces, but I won't be able to do a ton. I promise I haven't abandoned this story, I'm just VERY busy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry y'all

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is long and very rushed. I need to get the characters introduced so I just quickly gave them a scenario in which I could hint at their powers. 
> 
> I'm not even gonna sugarcoat it this sucks.


End file.
